


All the Right Words

by DreamcatchersDaughter



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-11 20:45:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5641282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamcatchersDaughter/pseuds/DreamcatchersDaughter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmate AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All the Right Words

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kamaete](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamaete/gifts).



> This is a gift for [Kamaete](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamaete), for the [Marvel Poly-days Exchange](http://marvelpolydayexchange.tumblr.com/). This wasn't the gift I had intended to give you originally, but I hope you enjoy this all the same. 
> 
> A big thank you to [Syriala](http://archiveofourown.org/users/syriala) for beta-ing this for me. All remaining mistakes are my own.

Bucky watches as the make-shift family he’s found settle into their respective couches, readying themselves for movie night.  He’s placed himself in his usual seat with his back to the wall, nearest the exit. Steve curled up at his side. 

Bucky watches as Sam, Nat, Rhodey and Clint fill up the main love-seat to his left. He watches as they brush fingers, share gentle kisses, and throw handfuls of popcorn as they argue with one another. They are ridiculously adorable all cuddled together, as a quartet they were meant to be.

Bucky's gaze flickers from the four mates, to the trio sprawled all over the other lounge chair that doesn’t quite fit their combined mass. Thor as the primary couch cushion with Darcy and Jane curled up under each of his massive arms, smiling at each other, both women plotting for sure how to steal the remote after the first film is shown. Phil, Bruce and Pepper take up the other chair. Phil curled around Bruce whispering things in his ear as he watches an argument between Clint, Tony and Sam take place. Pepper sitting on the floor between Bruce's knees, typing away at her tablet.

Tony wins the argument claiming singles get to choose the film and settles in at Natasha's ’ feet while she plays with his hair. It doesn’t go unnoticed by any in the room, how hollow the words sound. So they all settle in for some Fifth Element quietly. 

Bucky observes all of this feeling the sharp pain of want, sadness and envy in his chest. Which he knows isn’t fair, because even though he and Steve have yet to find their other mate, they have each other.

Tony had been born unmarked. Bucky wanted more than anything to chase away the doubts in those brown eyes. 

\- 

Bucky remembers, which is something of a gift these days, sitting at his mother’s knee as she explains, why the words appeared on his skin. What they could possibly mean. His mother had always started the story the same.

“Everyone is born with two soulmates, my dear and on rare occasions more than two. Your words help you identify who they are. They are the first time your soulmate ever tells you they love you.”  She’d always smile down at him then and stroke a hand through Bucky’s hair.

The first time she’d told him the stories of soulmates, Bucky had pointed the obvious. “But, ma, my words don’t say I love you. Does that mean my soulmate, doesn’t love me?” he’d asked worry coloring his tone. She had just smiled and said, “Love can be expressed many ways, my dear boy, so trust me when I tell you though the letters may not spell out I love you, but that is exactly what it means.”

Bucky had nodded very seriously at the time, but he hadn’t really understood what she meant. His five year-old brain hadn’t really understood how the words, “I knew it was you, ya jerk.” could ever hope to mean I love you. Thankfully by the time he’d heard them he’d begun to understand.

Bucky had known  from an early age that he was different from all the other children. His body only baring one mark. But he hadn’t cared then, for their teasing and he hadn’t much cared when he’d found Steve being beaten in an alley way for the very same thing. Only, Bucky could take care of himself against anyone who tried to swing a fist at him.

Steve hadn’t seemed to be handling it as well, so Bucky had stepped in. Got a lot of cheek for his trouble too. The first words out of Steve’s mouth had been, “I had em’ on the ropes, didn’t need your help.” 

“What a lil’ punk you are, come on let's get ya cleaned up.” That had been the beginning of a beautiful friendship. 

 

Steve had told him, he’d also only had the one soulmark and that his mama told him it was, because his other soulmate hadn’t been born yet. That nothing was wrong with only having one somebody to love, but she was sure he’d have two all the same. 

“Just you wait, Buck we will have a full trio someday too.”

Bucky hadn’t been sure then he even wanted a second soulmate. One seemed nerve wracking enough. It was the night before he’d shipped out with the 107th that he learned what his mother had meant.

Bucky had been smiling at the man he’d come to know he never wanted to live without and with simple words his whole world turned on it’s axis. 

“C’mere, punk.” He’d whispered as he pulled Steve into his arms for a goodbye hug. Bucky didn’t want to leave. Then he’d felt Steve stiffen in his arms. It had been the worst millisecond of his life until Steve stood back and grinned at him a mile wide.

“I knew it was you, ya jerk.”  Bucky had felt the words, that had been etched in his collarbone ever since he could remember flare to life with warmth. The letters that marred his skin glowing a beautiful blue beneath his uniform, the way Steve’s must have done not minutes before.

Bucky had lunged and wrapped Steve up in his arms. He’d pressed his lips to Steve’s soft mouth and felt at home.

They hadn’t had much time for bonding after that, because Bucky was off to war the next morning.

 

Even after being brought together again with the Howling Commandos they hadn’t had much time for more than a few desperate make out sessions and a bit of hand holding.  Partly because of the war effort, but also partly because Bucky knew Steve’s heart was holding out for the chance to meet their third and final half.

Bucky hadn’t had the same hope. At twenty-eight with still no sign of a second mark and war over their heads Bucky wasn’t sure their soulmate would ever be born in time. 

Bucky remembered thinking that having Steve as soulmate was enough for him. Then he’d fallen from the train and he didn’t have much time to wonder about soulmates anymore.

-

When Bucky escaped seventy years of hell, he learned Steve’s mark had faded away into nothing. That when Steve woke from the ice, Bucky's mark had faded also. Bucky had been devastated. 

Bruce had had a theory that when they changed so drastically, it was as if they had both died and someone had been reborn in their stead.

Not that Bruce’s theory mattered much, because three months after the majority of Bucky’s recovery came to a close words appeared on his skin again. Steve’s words. The world had righted itself again.

“It’s always gonna be you, ya jerk, so quit looking at me like that.”  

 

Now Bucky smiled softly down at where Steve’s arm wrapped around his middle. Bucky’s answering words “C'mere, you punk.”  were splayed proudly on the inside of Steve's wrist.

Bucky felt someone's gaze and turned to look at the rest of his team-mates who were absorbed in the movie. Except Tony who’s honey brown eyes were boring into his.

Tony looked away a moment later, staring unseeing into the carpet. Bucky watched then as Tony got up and snuck out of the room, Natasha watching him go with worry in her brow.

She’d been about to go after him, but Bucky couldn’t let that gaze slide. It was no secret to anyone  in the tower that both Bucky and Steve were completely gone on the inventor. Only the inventor himself seemed oblivious, to their affections. 

But how could they not feel for him as they did, Tony had given both of them a future. Tony had been there through every step of Bucky’s recovery. Treating Bucky like a human being, when everyone else had been convinced he was fragile as glass.

Tony had held Steve, when he’d begun crying over the first time Bucky had woken up without memory of who he was. Tony had turned right around and been strong for Bucky too, helping him pull the pieces of himself together.

 

So Bucky followed Tony as he slunk down into his workshop, Steve right on his heels.

-

Bucky paused at the entrance to the workshop, watching as Tony tore his shirt off like it was setting him on fire. With his back exposed Bucky could see two lines of beautiful script trailing down each side of Tony’s shoulder blades, like an inky waterfall.

Tony’s shoulders were shaking. Bucky understood why when heard the heart wrenching sobs. Bucky rushed forward and wrapped Tony up in his arms, chest to his back. He looked over Tony’s shoulder to see him gripping a long handle blade, and Bucky’s heart lurched in his chest.

“Steve!” Bucky called over his shoulder, his voice sounding shattered. 

Steve was in front of them both in a second, taking the blade from Tony’s tight grip and chucking it across the room. 

Steve pulled them both to his chest. They held Tony between them as he sobbed into Steve’s shoulder shaking all over. Bucky whispered  to him gently, “We’ve got you sweetheart, we’ve got you and were never letting you go. It’s alright doll, we’re here.”  Over and over again.

 

Steve pulled back a little to take Tony’s face in his hands. “Can you tell me what this is about?” 

Tony stared up at him eyes wet, “They appeared three months ago. Which means there's no chance in hell I’ll ever, meet them. They won’t ever be old enough to say these words or mean them. I wouldn’t let JARVIS tell me what they say, because I don’t want them.  No one will ever mean them, there will never be someone who loves me, there is no fucking point and I DON’T  WANT THESE STUPID FUCKING WORDS. WHY COULDN’T THEY BE YOURS!”

Tony tried to pull away from them, but Steve held fast and Bucky clutched him to his chest.

“Tony, just because you don’t have our words, doesn’t mean you won’t be loved.” Steve started to say and Bucky finished his sentence, “Because Tony we already love you, soulmates be damned.” 

 

Tony sucked in a deep breath and went stiff in their hold. Bucky pulled back to give him space and froze. He stared in wonder as the words dripping down Tony’s back began to glow a familiar beautiful blue. 

Bucky gently ran his fingers over the words he’d just uttered, marveling at their warmth. He pressed his lips gently over the lettering and breathed out, “Looks like you don’t have to worry about not finding us after all doll face.”  

Tony turned in his arms to look at him eyes wide, “But I-I-, but you don’t- you don’t have my words.” 

Bucky listened as Steve chuckled as he lovingly pressed his mouth, to the letters now exposed to his view. “Don’t have to have them, for us to love you sweetheart. You are the soulmate we want.”  Steve’s voice husky as he spoke.

Bucky smiled down at Tony. Finally he and Steve had their other part of their soul.

As far as Bucky was concerned if Tony’s words never appeared on his skin, it didn’t matter, because he’d love the man all the same.

“As long as you’ll have us of course?” Bucky said, searching Tony's face for any sign of rejection. There was none.

Tony smiled shakily up at him, “Yeah, yes. Please.”

Bucky kissed him then hot and passionate. Steve trailing kisses along Tony’s back. 

 

Finally Bucky was home. 

-

Months later Tony stumbled sleepily into the kitchen grumbling. “Listen up Capsicle I don’t care how handsome you are, I swear if you ever touch my precious coffee again I’ll… what?”  

Steve was grinning like a shark, hand clasped to his chest where he felt the warmth radiating. “Nothing Tony, absolutely nothing.” 

Bucky eyed Steve as moved passed him to hand Tony his coffee. Tony shook his head fondly continuing, “That goes for you too Metallica, batting those baby blues won’t save you from my wrath if you try to alter my precious caffeine with your milky concoctions agai- no really what is going on with you two?!” 

Tony had turned to see Bucky also clutching his chest. The devil in his smile as he stared adoringly at Tony.

Bucky shared a look with Steve. They both took their shirts off in unison. Tony was struck speechless, at the sight of glowing script newly etched into both of their chests.  The same beautiful blue right above their hearts.

Still grinning Bucky sauntered toward him. “We love you too, idiot.” 

Bucky scooped Tony up bridal style and headed off to their shared bedroom Steve trailing close behind them.

Not a soul saw them  for the rest of the day.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading.


End file.
